


what we know

by peraltasantiago



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Humor, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 10:49:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4957456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peraltasantiago/pseuds/peraltasantiago
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A meet-cute (sorta) at a bookstore has Bellamy Blarke and Clarke Griffin undeniably attracted to each other. It turns into something more than that, love, maybe?</p>
            </blockquote>





	what we know

"Yes, O. I get what you're saying. You need _both_ Hamlet, and MacBeth, right?"

"That's right big brother! Thank you, I love you!"

"Love you too, kiddo."

Bellamy hangs up the phone, pocketing it in his jeans. Opening the door to their local bookstore, the bell chimes a ding! indicating his presence. An indie tune Bellamy's never heard of plays softly through the store. He looks around the room, noting that the cashier is not behind the counter, for some reason. A wooden signage indicates various book genres, and written in a flourish font: Classic Drama. Bellamy walks past the New Releases and Top 10 display, turning to the left, passing through the romance section. He finds himself facing the drama section, the whole wall filled with classics he's heard Octavia babbling about since she joined drama club. Scratching his head, he begins to mouth Hamlet, fingers passing through the spines of the books.

"Uh, do you need anything?" A voice asks.

"Holy fucking shit!" Bellamy is well, shocked shitless, his reflex is to grab the wrists of the owner of the voice, pinning them to the bookshelf nearest to them. (Bellamy's had a whole lot of experience in dealing with sudden attacks, he thinks, recalling that one time he nearly beat the shit out of Atom, one of Octavia's exes who tried to sneak into the house while Bellamy was asleep on the couch.)

Heart beating rapidly, he looks at the blonde that is currently screaming that she's innocent and _I work here, what the hell_! Well, he looks down actually, he's pretty sure she's a head shorter than him. That's cute, kinda. He's practically dwarfing over her, his hands pinning her wrists at the side. He notes that she has really pretty eyes, despite it blazing angrily into his. Bellamy processes what she's saying, and oh, he should probably let go now 

"I'm sorry, I, ah, thought you were attacking me or something."

Bookstore Cutie crosses her arms and narrows her eyes, "If anything, it's you who's attacking me." Okay, Bookstore Cutie is _really_ cute. Like an annoyed kitten or something.

Bellamy raises his hands in surrender. "I apologize, it was sort of a reflex, that comes with experience. Where the hell did you come from, anyway? There wasn't anybody at the cashier, and I saw nobody as I walked through like, half of the store."

"There's this hidden nook at the other side of the romance section, I was there drawing and I didn't hear you come in. Anyway, what books were you looking for?"

Bellamy looks down at her hands, they're filled with ink and charcoal smudges.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Hamlet and MacBeth. My sister is going through this classic literature phase and she's just been promoted to president of her high school's drama club."

Bookstore Cutie nods, once, twice, turning to find the books. She suddenly stops and turns, looking at Bellamy, her head tilted to the side, as if she's trying to figure something out. Bellamy does not feel self-conscious being stared at like that (he's been through worse). Instead, it made him curious.

"Is there a reason you're looking at me like that?"

"Octavia Blake? That junior is your sister?"

Bellamy raises his eyebrows at that. He didn't know his sister was that popular, (he knows she's popular enough, seeing how many boys he's have had to threatened ever since his baby sister started high school) because, well, he's never seen her hanging out with Bookstore Cutie, at like, all. And Bookstore Cutie looked like the kind of girl who everyone unanimously worships in high school, or maybe that's just him finding her even more and more pretty by the second.

"Yeah, how do you know her?"

"I am a graduate from Ark High. Used to design the school's varsity uniform, logo, badges and all that jazz. Recently I've been helping out in stage designs for Hamlet, due to the request of the sound and lighting engineers, and I've got to say, your sister is pretty good at what she does. Ordering around people can seem like a daunting task, but Octavia's really good at taking the role of the director and president of the drama club."

How can Bellamy not break a smile at that? He smiles, and his face nearly splits in two, because well, after missing two years of middle school he was afraid that Octavia would have difficulty in school, but she seemed to be fitting in seamlessly with people her age. It makes him glad to hear things like this, Octavia deserves something normal, because their household has been nothing but that.

Bookstore Cutie lets him have his moment for a while, because anyone could see he adored his sister. (She found him strangely endearing to see his smile breaking his bad boy image, he was decked in all black, with a leather jacket, of all things!)

"You're Bellamy, right? Octavia talks about you some times, especially when you call her and tell her you're making Kare-Kare for dinner, she's in a good mood for the rest of the session."

"That's me," Bellamy replies, still with a smile on his face.

Bookstore Cutie gives a little smile, nods and turns back to finding the two books. Bellamy realizes that Bookstore Cutie is still named Bookstore Cutie.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Clarke Griffin."

“Wait, Clarke Griffin? Doesn’t your dad own Ark High?” Bellamy asks, his head cocked to the side.

Clarke regrets saying her full name out loud, because come on, she’s always been placed on a pedestal and treated like royalty when people found out. She hated that people treated her that way, sucked up to her like she’s a princess or something. Clarke’s pretty sure she hasn’t saved the human population or anything, so she really hated being treated like something more.

Bellamy notices this, notices Clarke heaving out an exasperated sigh, as if she’s been through this countless times. And she probably has.

“Yes, that’s me alright,” Clarke answers, turning away from the bookshelf, giving him a wary smile.

“Well, cool then, I guess. Gotta thank that guy for accepting Octavia into that school, though. It was our only hope.”

Bellamy sees Clarke’s hands pausing for a moment, she is curious to know more. But a second later her hands are moving again (that’s one huge bookshelf they’ve got there, really) and she points her index finger on the spine of Hamlet.

“Here, I found it,” Clarke says, “But you have to take it yourself though, my hands are kinda stained.”

Bellamy nods, taking the book from behind Clarke, his hands brushing her arm. He bites his lips, inevitably smelling her hair. It smells like citrus and sunshine. He moves back before he closes the gap between them.

Clarke’s not that well of either, barely suppressing the shiver that ran through her spine when she felt Bellamy’s skin brush against her. She shakes the feeling away and started her search for MacBeth.

“I’m sure it’s here somewhere… Aha! Up there Bellamy,” she points, on her tiptoes. MacBeth was placed at the highest shelf.

Bellamy lets out a laugh at Clarke tiptoeing, because he finds that adorably endearing. With his free hand, he takes a step closer to Clarke and reaches out for the book.

Both of them pause. There’s barely any space between them now, and the coolness of the zip on his leather jacket seems to be cooling right through her burning neck.

Bellamy’s chin is touching the back of her head, and she realizes she’s more or less being pressed up by a very, very attractive man who she seems to be attracted to. She can feel his junk at her lower back and it feels huge, so her face blazes bright red.

Bellamy’s barely breathing, feeling her back against his broad chest. He catches a whiff of her damn hair again, and stops himself before he smells her hair once more. That would just be plain creepy. Besides, he’s pretty sure his junk might be rubbing her and that’s making him freak out.

Before both of them can do anything, Bellamy’s default ringtone plays. The two react quickly, distancing away from each other. Clarke clears her throat and looks at the ground while Bellamy answers his phone.

“Yeah, what’s up? … Again? Okay Miller, just give me 20 minutes. I’ll be there,” is all Clarke could hear through her heart beating at her eardrums.

He hangs up the phone and takes Macbeth from the shelf, without Clarke between them. (Unfortunately.)

Turning around, they make the most awkward eye contact Clarke has ever had, and they silently began to walk towards the counter.

Clarke cleans her fingers on a baby wipe that’s present at the cashier, and effortlessly scans the books. Bellamy takes out his wallet and pays the exact amount.

Passing the cash over, their hands brush with each other. That makes Bellamy stumble a little, his hands shaking and letting the ten-dollar bill drop to the cashier.

“I, uh, sorry,” he murmurs, and he feels his face slowly heating.

Clarke nods, taking the bill from the tabletop and cashing in the money. She packs the books as fast as she could, placing them in the paper bag and punches the receipt button.

“Here you go.”

Both of them make sure to carefully give and receive the bag, not wanting to touch each other. (And kind of wanting to touch each other at the same time, so there’s that too.)

Bellamy looks up to her, offering a small smile and walks towards the door. Before he reaches the door though, Clarke calls after him. Still walking, he turns towards the girl who made his heartbeat impossibly faster.

“Yeah?” he answers, still walking.

“Tell Octavia I said hi,” she says, with one of the most beautiful smiles he has ever seen.

And of course, that makes him walk face first into the door of the bookstore, hard.

**Author's Note:**

> Hehe, Bellamy's in awe, isn't he?


End file.
